GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps is launching an innovative new program – Delivering Resilient Enterprises and Market Systems (DREAMS) for refugees and host communities in the Somali region of Ethiopia which provides solutions that will achieve increased household income, savings, assets and improved food security and wellbeing.  The DREAMS program aims to improve the well-being of 100,000 women, children, and men over the course of the five years. Working with refugees and host communities in the Somali region of Ethiopia the program will integrate two proven models – poverty graduation and Market Systems Development – layering these approaches in a new way that will ensure that the poorest households are able to improve their income and well-being significantly and maintain  Mercy Corps will lead the Market Systems component of the program and will be responsible for developing market access pathways to ensure those businesses can be successful and supporting the operating environment for businesses and communities to thrive.

Mercy Corps is looking for individuals who have capacity to perform those different activities with support of technical teams.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Develops their own deep understanding and mastery of ‘economic and market systems strengthening facilitation’ including coaching, relationship building, communicating, entrepreneurialism/business understanding and innovating;
2. Works directly with DREAMS Coordinator, and coordinate and integrates Mercy corps project activities at his/her camp levels and assist the Mercy Corps technical team and partners to get accurate information on actors, factors & performance of local level economy and help them to design and implement relevant activities at district levels.
3. Ensures the DREAMS activities in the camps in all aspects of financial services, crop/fodder production, livestock development, and energy are implemented affectively.
4. Has good understanding of local levels market systems and actors such as inputs suppliers, producers, traders, information service providers, transporters, financiers, governance frameworks (formal and informal); and all support markets and functions, has good knowledge facilitation techniques such as coaching, relationship building, communication and entrepreneurialism etc.
5. Help strengthened small-scale private sector development in camp by bringing new ideas and initiatives to DREAMS project.
6. Liaison with local government institutions, propose local capacity building programs to provide required services,
7. Participate camp levels coordination meetings with RRS and UNHCR administrations and ensures that they have understood DREAMS project approach and have up to date information about progress of DREAMS activities and impacts
8. Receives feedbacks, comments and inquiries from local government institutions and private sector actors and communities and then communicate to Project Coordinator and make sure they receive on time feedback and responses.
9. Conducts flow up of DREAMS activities at his/her camp levels, gather Market system development data, investigate market opportunities and disseminate to DREAMS team and to entire Mercy Corps staff and suggest ways in which market opportunities can be utilized by the DREAMS, market actors and local government institutions.
10. Develops and implements work plans to implement camp level activities.
11. Conducts her/himself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
12. Other duties as assigned.
13. Participates in quarterly DREAMS coordination meetings,
14. Camp based officer will also represent other projects from the Mercy corps.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in private sector and community are strongly preferred
• Bachelor’s degree in agribusiness, economics, business administration, other related field, or commensurate private sector or field experience is required
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in working with other agencies in market systems facilitation, agribusiness or financial services

SUCCESS FACTORS:

•  Fluent in English, and capable Somali language is strong benefit.

•  Business minded, entrepreneurial, great problem solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results motivated.

• Excellent communication, facilitation and networking skills with a wide range of actors across geographical areas

• Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

• Ability to foster solid working relationships with Government, beneficiary communities, and partner organizations

• Strong organizational skills.